Multiple user profile cleaner

ABSTRACT

A cleaning application that can clean, for one or more user profiles, at least one of one or more files of a computer or a registry of the computer is provided. The cleaning application can include a cleaning module. The cleaning module can select a plurality of user profiles of the computer. The cleaning module can further select at least one of a file location or a user profile hive for each user profile of the plurality of user profiles. The cleaning module can further clean at least one of one or more files stored within the file location or a registry stored within the user profile hive for each user profile of the plurality of user profiles.

BACKGROUND

Field

Certain embodiments of the invention relate generally to computer systems, and, more particularly, to registry and file cleaning computer systems.

Description of the Related Art

A computer contains one or more computer files (i.e., files), where a file is a resource that stores data that can be accessed by a computer program that is executed within the computer. A computer also contains a registry, where a registry is a hierarchical database that is stored on the computer and stores configuration settings and options for the computer.

During the lifetime of a computer, thousands of files can end up being stored on the computer. Many of these files may never be used by any software modules that are executed within the computer. Thus, these files are unused files that merely take up storage space of the computer, and potentially slow down the processing speed of the computer. A file cleaning software module, when executed on the computer, can identify unused files and delete them from the computer.

Similarly, during the lifetime of the computer, a registry can become bloated with numerous configuration entries. In certain cases, many of the entries are not used by any computer program. For example, when a new version of a computer program is installed on the computer, the registry may be updated to contain a new entry corresponding to the new version. However, the old entry corresponding to the older version may not be deleted. Thus, a large number of entries in the registry may be superfluous. Similar to a file cleaning software module, a registry cleaning software module, when executed on the computer, can identify unused entries in a registry, and delete them from the registry.

SUMMARY

According to an embodiment of the invention, a method includes selecting, by a cleaning module executed on a computer, a plurality of user profiles of a computer. The method further includes selecting, by the cleaning module, at least one of a file location or a user profile hive for each user profile of the plurality of user profiles. The method further includes cleaning, by the cleaning module, at least one of one or more files stored within the file location or a registry stored within the user profile hive for each user profile of the plurality of user profiles.

According to another embodiment, an apparatus includes a memory configured to store a cleaning module. The apparatus further includes a processor configured to execute the cleaning module stored on the memory. The processor is further configured, when executing the cleaning module stored on the memory, to, select a plurality of user profiles of a computer, select at least one of a file location or a user profile hive for each user profile of the plurality of user profiles, and clean at least one of one or more files stored within the file location or a registry stored within the user profile hive for each user profile of the plurality of user profiles.

According to another embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium includes a computer program stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement a method. The method includes selecting a plurality of user profiles of a computer. The method further includes selecting at least one of a file location or a user profile hive for each user profile of the plurality of user profiles. The method further includes cleaning at least one of one or more files stored within the file location or a registry stored within the user profile hive for each user profile of the plurality of user profiles.

According to another embodiment, an apparatus includes means for selecting a plurality of user profiles of a computer. The apparatus further includes means for selecting at least one of a file location or a user profile hive for each user profile of the plurality of user profiles. The apparatus further includes means for cleaning at least one of one or more files stored within the file location or a registry stored within the user profile hive for each user profile of the plurality of user profiles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further embodiments, details, advantages, and modifications of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which is to be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system, according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an apparatus that implements a cleaning module, according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of a method, according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for cleaning one or more files and/or a registry for one or more user profiles of a computer, according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a user interface of a cleaning module, according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It will be readily understood that the components of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following detailed description of the embodiments of a method, apparatus, system, and computer-readable medium, as represented in the attached figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as claimed, but is merely representative of selected embodiments of the invention.

The features, structures, or characteristics of the invention described throughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. For example, the usage of the phrases “an embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “another embodiment,” “an alternative embodiment,” “an alternate embodiment,” “certain embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “different embodiments” or other similar language, throughout this specification refers to the fact that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “an embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “another embodiment,” “an alternative embodiment,” “an alternate embodiment,” “in certain embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” “in other embodiments,” “in different embodiments,” or other similar language, throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same group of embodiments, and the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

A “computer,” as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, is any programmable machine that receives input, automatically stores and manipulates data, and provides output. A “computer program” is any sequence of instructions written to perform a specific task on a computer, and has an executable form that a computer (typically through the use of a processor) can use to execute the instructions. A “computer module,” “software module,” or “module” is any computer program, or a portion thereof, that encapsulates related functions. A “computer application,” “software application,” or “application” is any collection of computer programs and/or modules. A “computer network” or “network” is any collection of computers interconnected by communication channels that facilitate communication among the computers. A “user profile” is a collection of data associated with a specific user of a computer, or with a specific environment of the computer. A “hive” is a logical group of keys, subkeys, or entries in a registry,” and a “user profile hive” is a hive associated with a user profile.

In addition, a “service” or “web service,” as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, is a module or application designed to support interoperable computer-to-computer interaction over a network. A service can have an interface described in a computer-processable format. A computer can interact with a service by sending messages over a network protocol. Examples of services are Big Web services and RESTful services. Big Web services are services that follow a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) standard and use Extensible Markup Language (XML) messages. RESTful services are services that utilize a Representational State Transfer (REST) style of software architecture, where clients are separate from servers by a uniform interface.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a cleaning application can clean, for one or more user profiles, at least one of one or more files of a computer or a registry of a computer. Specifics of the file cleaning and registry cleaning are described below in greater detail. The cleaning can be targeted for a current user profile of the computer, a specific user profile of the computer, a plurality of specific user profiles of the computer, or all the user profiles of the computer. Through the targeting of a specific user profile, or a plurality of specific user profiles, the cleaning application can clean files in one or more file locations that are associated with the specific user profile(s). Further, through the targeting of a specific user profile, or a plurality of specific user profiles, the cleaning application can clean registries in one or more user profile hives. The cleaning application can include a cleaning module and can optionally also include an administrative cleaning module.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system, according to an embodiment of the invention. The system can include computers 100, 110, 120, and 130. Computers 100, 110, 120, and 130 can each be any type of computer known in the art, such as a microcomputer, a personal computer, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a Palmtop computer, a server, a tablet computer, a smartphone, a smartbook, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a minicomputer, a mainframe computer, a supercomputer, a workstation, or an embedded computer. One of ordinary skill in the art would readily appreciate that the number of computers illustrated in FIG. 1 is merely an example number according to the embodiment, and that, in alternate embodiments, the system can include any number of computers.

The system can also include network 140. Network 140 can be any type of network that is known in the art, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a personal area network (PAN), a home area network (HAN), a campus area network (CAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a global area network (GAN), a storage area network (SAN), a virtual private network (VPN), a wireless network, a wireless LAN, a HomePNA, a power line communication network, a G.hn network, a Bluetooth network, an optical fiber network, an Ethernet network, an active networking network, a client-server network, a peer-to-peer network, a bus network, a star network, a ring network, a mesh network, a star-bus network, a tree network, or a hierarchical topology network. According to the embodiment, computer 100 can establish a connection with any of computers 110, 120, and 130 over network 140 using a network protocol. The network protocol can be any communication protocol that is known in the art, such as an Internet Protocol (IP), a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), a User Datagram Protocol (UDP), an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), a Post Office Protocol (POP), a File Transfer Protocol (FTP), or an Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP). According to an embodiment, the network protocol can be a secured network protocol, and the connection between computer 100 and any of computers 110, 120, and 130 can be a secured connection. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, computer 100 can establish a connection with the three computers in the system, i.e., computers 110, 120, and 130, over network 140. However, this is merely an example, and in alternate embodiments, a computer can establish a connection with any number of computers over a network. Further, in alternate embodiments, network 140 can be omitted, and computers 100, 110, 120, and 130 can be separate and unconnected to each other.

According to the embodiment, computer 100 can include administrator cleaning module 105. Administrator cleaning module 105 is a module that is executed by computer 100. Administrator cleaning module 105 can remotely deploy one or more cleaning modules (such as cleaning modules 115, 125, and 135) to computers 110, 120, and 130 over network 140. Administrator cleaning module 105 can also remotely manage file and registry cleaning performed by the deployed one or more cleaning modules. In certain embodiments, the system does not include administrator cleaning module 105.

Also according to the embodiment, computer 110 can include cleaning module 115, computer 120 can include cleaning module 125, and computer 130 can include cleaning module 135. Cleaning modules 115, 125, and 135 are each modules that are executed by computers 110, 120, and 130, respectively. Cleaning modules 115, 125, and 135 can each perform file and registry cleaning on computers 110, 120, and 130, respectively. More specifically, cleaning modules 115, 125, and 135 can each perform file and registry cleaning for one or more user profiles of computers 110, 120, and 130, respectively. In certain embodiments, the file and registry cleaning can be managed by administrator cleaning module 105. However, in embodiments where administrator cleaning module 105 is omitted from the system, cleaning modules 115, 125, and 135 can manage their own respective file and registry cleaning. The functionality of cleaning modules 115, 125, and 135 is described below in greater detail in relation to FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an apparatus 200 that implements a cleaning module 220, according to an embodiment of the invention. In one embodiment of the invention, apparatus 200 is a computer similar to computers 110, 120, and 130 of FIG. 1. Apparatus 200 includes a bus 205 or other communication mechanism for communicating information between components of apparatus 200. Apparatus 200 also includes a processor 235, operatively coupled to bus 205, for processing information and executing instructions or operations. Processor 235 may be any type of general or specific purpose processor. Apparatus 200 further includes a memory 210 for storing information and instructions to be executed by processor 235. Memory 210 can be comprised of any combination of random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), static storage such as a magnetic or optical disk, or any other type of machine or computer-readable medium. Apparatus 200 further includes a communication device 230, such as a network interface card or other communication interface, to provide access to a network. As a result, a user may interface with apparatus 200 directly, or remotely through a network or any other method. In addition, apparatus 200 may interface with any other computers or devices through a network.

A computer-readable medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by processor 235. A computer-readable medium may include both a volatile and nonvolatile medium, a removable and non-removable medium, and a storage medium. A storage medium may include RAM, flash memory, ROM, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), or any other form of storage medium known in the art.

Processor 235 can also be operatively coupled via bus 205 to a display 240, such as a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). Display 240 can display information to the user. A keyboard 245 and a cursor control device 250, such as a computer mouse, can also be operatively coupled to bus 205 to enable the user to interface with apparatus 200.

According to one embodiment, memory 210 can store software modules that may provide functionality when executed by processor 235. The modules can include cleaning module 220. Cleaning module 220 can perform file and registry cleaning for one or more user profiles of apparatus 200. According to the embodiment, the modules can also include an operating system 215, as well as other functional modules 225. Operating system 215 can provide an operating system functionality for apparatus 200. Apparatus 200 can also be part of a larger system. Thus, apparatus 200 can include one or more additional functional modules 225 to include additional functionality for the system.

Processor 235 can also be operatively coupled via bus 205 to a database 255. Database 255 can store data in an integrated collection of logically-related records or files. Database 255 can be an operational database, an analytical database, a data warehouse, a distributed database, an end-user database, an external database, a navigational database, an in-memory database, a document-oriented database, a real-time database, a relational database, an object-oriented database, or any other database known in the art.

FIGS. 3 and 4 each illustrate a method according to an embodiment of the invention. The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a computer program executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. A computer program may be embodied on a computer-readable medium, such as a storage medium. For example, a computer program may reside in RAM, flash memory, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium may be coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). In the alternative, the processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components. Furthermore, a computer-readable medium may be any type of tangible medium.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of a method, according to an embodiment of the invention. In one embodiment, the method can be implemented by a cleaning module executed on a computer. As previously described, a cleaning module can perform file and registry cleaning for one or more user profiles of a computer.

According to the embodiment, the method begins, and at step 310, a plurality of user profiles of a computer is selected. In certain embodiments, the selection of the plurality of user profiles includes receiving a user profile indication. In some of these embodiments, the user profile indication is one of: an indication to select a current user profile of the computer; an indication to select all user profiles of the computer; or an indication to select a pre-identified selection of user profiles. The method then proceeds to step 320.

At step 320, at least one of a file location or a user profile hive is selected for each user profile of the plurality of user profiles. In certain embodiments where the user profile indication is an indication to select a current user profile of the computer, the selection of the file location includes requesting the file location for the current user profile from the computer, and receiving the file location for the current user profile from the computer. Further, in the embodiments where the user profile indication is an indication to select a current user profile of the computer, the selection of the user profile hive includes loading the user profile hive for the current user profile from the computer. In alternate embodiments where the user profile indication is an indication to select all user profiles of the computer, the selection of the file location includes requesting a list of all the user profiles from the computer, receiving the list of all the user profiles from the computer, requesting the file location for each user profile of all the user profiles from the computer, and receiving the file location for each user profile of all the user profiles from the computer. Further, in the embodiments where the user profile indication is an indication to select all user profiles of the computer, the selection of the user profile hive includes loading the user profile hive for each user profile of all the user profiles from the computer. In alternate embodiments where the user profile indication is an indication to select a pre-identified selection of user profiles, the selection of the file location includes receiving the pre-identified selection of user profiles from the cleaning module, requesting the file location for each user profile of the pre-identified selection of user profiles from the computer, and receiving the file location for each user profile of the pre-identified selection of user profiles from the computer. Further, in the embodiments where the user profile indication is an indication to select a pre-identified selection of user profiles, the selection of the user profile hive includes loading the user profile hive for each user profile of the pre-identified selection of user profiles from the computer. The method then proceeds to step 330.

At step 330, at least one of one or more files stored within the file location or a registry stored within the user profile hive are cleaned for each user profile of the plurality of user profiles. In certain embodiments, the cleaning is based on an instruction and a cleaning rule set. In some of these embodiments, the cleaning module includes one or more cleaning rules, the cleaning rule includes one or more cleaning rule identities, each cleaning rule identity corresponds to a unique cleaning rule, and a cleaning rule includes a set of one or more parameters for cleaning at least one of one or more files or a registry of the computer. Further, in some of these embodiments, each cleaning rule identity corresponds to either a system cleaning rule, an application cleaning rule, or a registry cleaning rule. Even further, in some of these embodiments, the cleaning one or more files or a registry of the computer further includes, for each cleaning rule that corresponds to each cleaning rule identity, at least one of the following: removing one or more files from the computer; removing data from one or more files; removing one or more registry entries from the computer; or removing data from one or more registry entries, based on the cleaning rule. In certain embodiments, one or more databases of the computer can also be cleaned, where the cleaning is based on an instruction to clean one or more databases and a cleaning rule set. Further, in some of these embodiments, one or more browser applications of the computer can be optimized, where the optimizing is based on an instruction to optimize one or more browser applications and a cleaning rule set. The cleaning of the one or more files stored within the file location, and the cleaning of the registry stored within the user profile hive, are each further described below in greater detail. After step 330, the method ends.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for cleaning one or more files and/or a registry for one or more user profiles of a computer, according to an embodiment of the invention. According to one embodiment, the following steps can be part of a method for cleaning one or more files and/or a registry of a computer.

In the embodiment, the flow begins, and, at step 410, a cleaning module receives a user profile indication. The user profile indication is an indication to select one or more user profiles of a computer, where one or files and/or a registry associated with each selected user profile are to be cleaned. In one embodiment, the user profile indication can be an indication to select one of: a current user profile of the computer (i.e., a user profile of a user currently logged into the computer), all user profiles of the computer; or a pre-defined selection of user profiles of the computer (i.e., a pre-defined subset of all user profiles of the computer). In certain embodiments, the user profile indication can be defined by a user of the cleaning module. In some of these embodiments, the user profile indication can be defined by the user using a user interface of the cleaning module. An example of a user interface of the cleaning module is described in greater detail in relation to FIG. 5. The flow then proceeds to step 420.

At step 420, the cleaning module determines a value for the user profile indication. In certain embodiments, the cleaning module determines whether the user profile indication is either an indication to select a current user profile, an indication to select all user profiles of the computer, or an indication to select a pre-defined selection of user profiles of the computer. If the user profile indication is an indication to select a current user profile of the computer, the flow proceeds to step 430. If the user profile indication is an indication to select all user profiles of the computer, the flow proceeds to step 431. If the user profile indication is an indication to select a pre-defined selection of user profiles of the computer, the flow proceeds to step 432.

At step 430, the cleaning module receives a current user profile of the computer. In certain embodiments, the cleaning module requests the current user profile (i.e., the user profile of the user current logged into the computer) from the computer, and the computer sends the current user profile to the cleaning module. The flow proceeds to step 440.

At step 431, the cleaning module receives all user profiles of the computer. In certain embodiments, the cleaning module requests all user profiles from the computer, and the computer sends all user profiles to the cleaning module. The flow proceeds to step 440.

At step 432, the cleaning module receives the selected user profiles of the computer based on the pre-defined selection of user profiles. In certain embodiment the pre-defined selection of user profiles is provided by the cleaning module. In some of these embodiments, the pre-defined selection of user profiles is defined by a user of the computer using a user interface of the cleaning module. The flow proceeds to step 440.

At step 440, the cleaning module receives a file location for a user profile. The user profile is either: the current user profile, a user profile selected from all user profiles, or a user profile selected from a pre-defined selection of user profiles. The file location is a location within the computer where one or more files associated with the user profile are stored. In certain embodiments, the cleaning module requests the file location for the user profile from the computer, and the computer sends the file location for the user profile to the cleaning module. The flow proceeds to step 450.

At step 450, the cleaning module cleans one or more files stored within the file location for the user profile. The cleaning of the one or more files stored within the file location is further described below in greater detail. The flow proceeds to step 460.

At step 460, the cleaning module receives a user profile hive for the user profile. A user profile hive is a hive stored within the computer that is associated with a user profile, where the user profile hive stores a registry that includes one or more registry entries, and where the registry is associated with the user profile. In certain embodiments, the cleaning module loads the user profile hive from the computer. The flow proceeds to step 470.

At step 470, the cleaning module cleans a registry stored within the user profile hive for the user profile. The cleaning of the registry stored within the user profile hive is further described below in greater detail. The flow proceeds to step 480.

At step 480, the cleaning module determines whether there are additional user profiles whose files and/or registries are to be cleaned. If the user profile indication is an indication to select a current user profile, then the cleaning module determines that there are no additional user profiles whose files and/or registries are to be cleaned (since the current user profile's files and/or registries were previously cleaned), and the flow ends. If the user profile indication is either an indication to select all user profiles of the computer, or an indication to select a pre-defined selection of user profiles of the computer, then the cleaning module determines if there are additional user profiles (from either all user profiles or the pre-defined selection of user profiles) whose files and/or registries have not been cleaned. If there are additional user profiles whose files and/or registries are to be cleaned, the flow returns to step 440. If there are no additional user profiles whose files and/or registries are to be cleaned, the flow ends.

FIG. 5 illustrates a user interface that can be created by a cleaning module, executed on a computer, where the user interface is displayed to a user at a screen of the computer. However, as one of ordinary skill in the art would readily appreciate, the user interface illustrated in FIG. 5 is merely an example user interface according to an embodiment of the invention. In alternate embodiments, the cleaning module may display a user interface that has a different appearance from the user interface illustrated in FIG. 5. In one embodiment, the user interface can be a separate web service that can be executed by the cleaning module, where the cleaning module is executed on the computer. In another embodiment, the user interface can be a separate application programming interface (API) that can be executed by the cleaning module, where the cleaning module is executed on the computer. Furthermore, in alternate embodiments, the cleaning module may not display a user interface to a user. In some of these embodiments, a user interfaces with the cleaning module using a web interface. A web interface allows a user to interface with the cleaning module over a network connection, such as the Internet. The user can connect with the cleaning module, for example, over HTTP. The web interface can be located at the same computer of the cleaning module, or a separate computer, depending on the embodiment. In other alternate embodiments, there is no user interface associated with the cleaning module, whatsoever.

FIG. 5 illustrates a user interface of a cleaning module, according to an embodiment of the invention. According to the embodiment, the user interface displayed in FIG. 5 is an example user interface that can be displayed before the cleaning module cleans one or more files and/or a registry for one or more user profiles of a computer.

According to the embodiment, the user interface can display an options tab 510. In the illustrated embodiment, in response to a user “clicking” options tab 510, the user interface can display one or more options for configuring the cleaning module, such as configuring the cleaning module to clean one or more files and/or a registry for one or more user profiles of the computer. More specifically, in response to a user “clicking” options tab 510, the user interface can display a plurality of configuration tabs.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of configuration tabs can include users tab 520. In response to a user “clicking” users tab 520, the user interface can display one or more options for selecting one or more user profiles for the purpose of cleaning one or more files and/or a registry of the selected one or more profiles. By “clicking” on an option, an indication can be received by the cleaning module, where the indication indicates which user profiles to select for cleaning. More specifically, the user interface can display current user profile indication 530, all user profiles indication 540, and selected user profiles indication 550. By “clicking” on current user profile indication 530, an indication to select a current user profile of the computer can be received by the cleaning module. By “clicking” on all user profiles indication 540, an indication to select all user profiles of the computer can be received by the cleaning module. By “clicking” on selected user profiles indication 550, an indication to select a pre-identified selection of user profiles of the computer can be received by the cleaning module. Based on the received indication, the cleaning module can specifically target the identified user profiles for cleaning.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the user interface can also display selected users window 560, unselected users window 570, and buttons 580 and 590, which can be activated when a user “clicks” on selected user profiles indication 550. Selected users window 560 displays the user profiles that are to be selected for cleaning, and thus, are part of a pre-identified selection. Unselected users window 570 displays the user profiles that are not to be selected for cleaning, and thus, are not part of the pre-identified selection. Initially, the cleaning module can cause the user interface to display all the user profiles of the computer within selected users window 560. By “clicking” on button 580, a user can move a user profile from selected users window 560 to unselected users window 570. By “clicking” on button 590, a user can move a user profile from unselected users window 570 to selected users window 560. Thus, the user interface allows a user to create a pre-identified selection of the user profiles of the computer, where the pre-identified selection can include a single user profile, a plurality of user profiles, or all the user profiles of the computer.

Specifics of the file cleaning and registry cleaning performed by a cleaning module that is executed on a computer are now described in greater detail, in accordance with one embodiment. According to the embodiment, the cleaning module can determine application information from the computer. In one embodiment, the application information includes an application list that represents one or more applications that are installed on the computer. In one embodiment, the cleaning module generates the application list by determining whether one or more applications are installed on the computer. According to the embodiment, the cleaning module can include a list of applications that are commonly installed on a computer within the application list, such as Microsoft® Internet Explorer®, Mozilla® Firefox®, Apple® Safari®, Google® Chrome®, and Opera®. The cleaning module can also include, within the application list, a list of locations on the computer that the cleaning module can analyze to determine whether such an application is installed. In one embodiment, the list of locations includes a list of file locations. In another embodiment, the list of locations includes a list of registry entries. In yet another embodiment, the list of locations includes a combination of both a list of file locations and a list of registry entries. According to the embodiment, if the cleaning module determines that an application is installed, the cleaning module can include that application in the application list. If the cleaning module determines that the application is not installed, the cleaning module can exclude that application from the application list.

Further, according to an embodiment, the cleaning module can select which applications from the application list are to be cleaned, and which applications from the application list are not to be cleaned. Furthermore, regarding the applications that are to be cleaned, the cleaning module can configure which items corresponding to the application are to be removed, where the items can include files, registry entries, data from files, data from registry entries, or a combination therein.

Subsequently, the cleaning module can determine a cleaning rule set, where the determining of the cleaning rule set can be based on the application information. In on embodiment, the cleaning rule set includes one or more cleaning rule identities, where a cleaning rule identity is an identity that uniquely identifies a cleaning rule. A cleaning rule includes one or more parameters for cleaning one or more files and/or a registry of the computer. The parameters of the cleaning rule instruct cleaning module on what items to remove when applying the cleaning rule, where the items can include files, registry entries, data from files, data from registry entries, or a combination therein. A cleaning rule can be stored within a cleaning module.

According to the embodiment, the cleaning module can generate an instruction to clean one or more files and/or a registry of the computer, where the instruction can be based on the cleaning rule set. According to the embodiment, the instruction instructs the cleaning module, for each cleaning rule identity of the cleaning rule set, to apply a cleaning rule that corresponds to the cleaning rule identity. By instructing the cleaning module to apply a cleaning rule, the instruction instructs the cleaning module to perform at least one of the following: removing one or more files; removing data from one or more files; removing one or more registry entries; or removing data from one or more registry entries. Thus, the instruction can instruct the cleaning module to perform file cleaning, registry cleaning, or a combination of the two.

In an alternate embodiment, the cleaning module can generate an instruction to analyze, rather than clean, one or more files and/or a registry, where the instruction can be based on the cleaning rule set. In the alternate embodiment, the instruction instructs the cleaning module, for each cleaning rule identity of the cleaning rule set, to apply a cleaning rule that corresponds to the cleaning rule identity. By instructing the cleaning module to apply a cleaning rule, the instruction instructs the cleaning module to perform at least one of the following: identifying one or more files to be removed; identifying data from one or more files to be removed; identifying one or more registry entries to be removed; or identifying data from one or more registry entries to be removed.

According to an embodiment, a cleaning rule can be one of three types of cleaning rules: a system cleaning rule that can be applied to clean at least one of one or more files and one or more registry entries; an application cleaning rule that can be applied to clean at least one of one or more files and one or more registry entries; or a registry cleaning rule that can be applied to clean one or more registry entities.

A system cleaning rule is a cleaning rule for the cleaning of at least one of one or more files, and one or more registry entries, corresponding to a system component of a computer, rather than a specific application. According to one embodiment, examples of system components include the following components: Recycle Bin, Temporary Files, Clipboard, Memory Dumps, Chkdsk File Fragments, Windows Log Files, Windows Error Reporting, DNS Cache, FTP Accounts, Start Menu Shortcuts, and Desktop Shortcuts. One of ordinary skill in the art would readily appreciate that these components are merely example components, and a system cleaning rule can clean other system components of a computer.

According to an embodiment, the following is an example system cleaning rule for cleaning the Windows Log Files component:

[Windows Log Files]

ID=1017

LangSecRef=3003

LangRef=3145

Default=True

FileKey1=%SystemDirectory%\wbem\Logs|*.log

FileKey2=%SystemDirectory%\wbem\Logs|*.lo_(—)

FileKey3=%windir%|*.log

FileKey4=%windir%|*.bak

FileKey5=%windir%|*log.txt

FileKey6=%commonappdata%\Microsoft\Dr Watson|*.log

FileKey7=%commonappdata%\Microsoft\Dr Watson|*.dmp

FileKey8=%windir%\Debug|*.log

FileKey9=%windir%\Debug\UserMode|*.log

FileKey10=%windir%\Debug\UserMode|*.bak

FileKey11=%windir%|ScheduLgU.txt

FileKey12=%windir%\security\logs|*.log

FileKey13=%windir%\security\logs|*.old

According to the embodiment, the system cleaning rule includes an ID parameter, whose value represents a cleaning rule identity. The system cleaning rule also includes a LangSecRef parameter and a LangRef parameter, whose values represent a system component or application to be cleaned. In addition, the system cleaning rule includes a Default parameter, whose value indicates whether the cleaning rule is applied as a default. The system cleaning rule also includes the following parameters: FileKey1, FileKey2, FileKey3, FileKey4, FileKey5, FileKey6, FileKey7, FileKey8, FileKey9, FileKey10, FileKey11, FileKey12, and FileKey13. Each of these parameters is an example of a FileKey parameter. A FileKey parameter indicates specific files that are cleaned when the cleaning rule is applied.

In an alternate embodiment, a system cleaning rule can include a DetectFile parameter, a Detect parameter, or a combination of the two. The DetectFile parameter can be used to detect the presence of a system component or application by looking for specific files. The Detect parameter can be used to detect the presence of a system component or application by looking for specific registry entries. In the alternate embodiment, a system cleaning rule can also include any number of RegKey parameters. A RegKey parameter indicates specific registry entries that are cleaned when the cleaning rule is applied.

One of ordinary skill in the art would readily appreciate that the system cleaning rule shown above is only an example, and that a system cleaning rule may take different forms and still be within the scope of the invention.

An application cleaning rule is a cleaning rule for the cleaning of at least one of one or more files, and one or more registry entries, corresponding to a specific application of a computer. According to one embodiment, examples of applications include the following applications: Mozilla® Firefox®, Opera®, Apple® Safari®, Google® Chrome®, Adobe® Acrobat Reader®, Adobe® ImageReady®, Adobe® Photoshop®, Adobe® Illustrator®, Yahoo® Toolbar, Windows Live® Toolbar, Google® Toolbar, Google® Deskbar®, Google® Calendar Sync®, Google® Talk®, Microsoft® Windows Media Player®, Real® Player, Quicktime® Player, Adobe® Paint Shop Pro®, Microsoft® Works®, Microsoft® Office®, Installshield® Developer®, Macromedia® Flash®, Adobe® Flash Player®, Macromedia® Homesite®, Macromedia® Fireworks®, Macromedia® Dreamweaver®, Macromedia® Shockwave®, and Microsoft® Silverlight®. One of ordinary skill in the art would readily appreciate that these applications are merely example components, and an application cleaning rule can clean other applications of a computer.

According to an embodiment, the following is an example application cleaning rule for cleaning an Internet cache of Mozilla® Firefox®:

[Mozilla—Internet Cache]

ID=2001

LangSecRef=3026

Default=True

SpecialDetect=DET_MOZILLA

SpecialKey1=N_MOZ_CACHE

According to the embodiment, the application cleaning rule includes an ID parameter, whose value represents a cleaning rule identity. The application cleaning rule also includes a LangSecRef parameter, whose values represent a system component to be cleaned. In addition, the application cleaning rule includes a Default parameter, whose value indicates whether the application cleaning rule is applied as a default. The application cleaning rule also includes the following parameters: SpecialDetect and SpecialKey1. The values for the parameters SpecialDetect and SpecialKey1 represent dedicated functions that are used to detect applications or system components and clean them.

In an alternate embodiment, an application cleaning rule can include a DetectFile parameter, a Detect parameter, or a combination of the two, which have previously been described. In the alternate embodiment, an application cleaning rule can also include any number of FileKey parameters and/or RegKey parameters, both of which have also previously been described.

One of ordinary skill in the art would readily appreciate that the application cleaning rule shown above is only an example, and that an application cleaning rule may take different forms and still be within the scope of the invention.

A registry cleaning rule is a cleaning rule for the cleaning one or more registry entries of a computer. According to one embodiment, examples of registry cleaning rules include the following examples:

Missing Shared Dynamically Linked Libraries (DLLs)—Removes entry for a library which is shared by multiple programs that no longer exist;

Unused File Extensions—Removes entries for file extensions that are no longer associated with installed applications;

ActiveX and Class Issues—Removes invalid entries from COM/ActiveX object that refer to a non-existing file;

Type Libraries—Removes invalid entries for type library that refer to an non-existing file;

Applications—Removes invalid entries for non-existent programs;

Fonts—Removes invalid entries for fonts that no longer exist in a Windows Fonts folder;

Application Paths—Removes entries for registered application path that no longer exists;

Help Files—Removes entries referring to Help files that no longer exist;

Installer—Removes unnecessary uninstallers or the remnants of previous uninstallations;

Obsolete Software—Removes entries for applications that are no longer installed;

Run At Startup—Removes entries for Startup applications that no longer exist;

Start Menu Ordering—Removes entries for Start menu application that no longer exist; and

MUI Cache—Removes invalid entries from a chance of recently run programs.

One of ordinary skill in the art would readily appreciate that these are merely example registry cleaning rules, and that other registry cleaning rules can be included.

According to an embodiment, the following is an example registry cleaning rule for cleaning missing shared DLLs:

[Missing Shared DLLs]

LangSecRef=3501

LangRef=3601

Default=True

SpecialKey1=R_SHARED_DLLS

According to the embodiment, the registry cleaning rule includes an ID parameter, whose value represents a cleaning rule identity. The registry cleaning rule also includes a LangSecRef parameter and a LangRef parameter, whose values represent one or more registry entries to be cleaned. In addition, the registry cleaning rule includes a Default parameter, whose value indicates whether the registry cleaning rule is applied as a default. The application cleaning rule also includes a SpecialKey1 parameter, whose value represents a dedicated function that is used to detect registry entries and clean them.

In an alternate embodiment, a registry cleaning rule can include a Detect parameter, which has previously been described. In the alternate embodiment, an application cleaning rule can also include any number of RegKey parameters, which also have previously been described.

One of ordinary skill in the art would readily appreciate that the registry cleaning rule shown above is only an example, and that a registry cleaning rule may take different forms and still be within the scope of the invention.

According to an alternate embodiment, a cleaning module can also generate an instruction to clean one or more databases of a computer, where the instruction is based on the cleaning rule set. According to the alternate embodiment, the instruction instructs the cleaning module, for each appropriate cleaning rule identity of the cleaning rule set, to apply a cleaning rule that corresponds to the cleaning rule identity, to perform database cleaning, database optimization, database compacting, or a combination therein, on the one or more databases. As understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, database cleaning refers to removing one or more database records from one or more database tables. The one or more database records can be removed because of various technical or business reasons. For example, the data in the one or more database records may be incomplete or corrupt. As another example, the one or more database records may not be utilized. Database optimization refers to improving speed and functionality of querying the one or more databases, such as creating or modifying one or more indexes. Database compacting refers to compacting data stored in the one or more databases, so that the one or more databases require a smaller amount of storage space on the computer. According to the alternate embodiment, the cleaning module can clean one or more databases of the computer based on the generated instruction and the cleaning rule set.

According to another alternate embodiment, a cleaning module can also generate an instruction to optimize one or more browser applications of a computer, where the instruction is based on the cleaning rule set. A browser application is an application configured to retrieve, present, and traverse information resources over the Internet, such as the World Wide Web. Examples of a browser application include Microsoft® Internet Explorer®, Mozilla® Firefox®, Apple® Safari®, Opera®, and Google® Chrome®. Optimizing a browser application can include cleaning one or more files associated with the browser application, cleaning one or more registry entries associated with the browser application, cleaning one or more databases associated with the browser application, or a combination therein, as previously described. According to the alternate embodiment, a cleaning module can optimize one or more browser applications of a computer based on the generated instruction and the cleaning rule set.

According to an embodiment, a cleaning module can be configured to clean one or more files and/or a registry for multiple user profiles of a computer. A user of the cleaning module can configure the cleaning module to clean a current user profile of the computer, all the user profiles of the computer, or a pre-defined selection of one or more user profiles. The cleaning module can then iterate through each profile, change a file location and user profile hive associated with each user profile, can clean one or more files and/or a registry for each user profile. By providing the user the ability to customize which user profiles to clean, the cleaning module can provide more flexibility to the user in determining which files and/or registries to clean.

One having ordinary skill in the art will readily understand that the invention as discussed above may be practiced with steps in a different order, and/or with hardware elements in configurations which are different than those which are disclosed. Therefore, although the invention has been described based upon these preferred embodiments, it would be apparent to those of skill in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative constructions would be apparent, while remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention. In order to determine the metes and bounds of the invention, therefore, reference should be made to the appended claims. 

I claim:
 1. A method, comprising: selecting, by a cleaning module executed by a processor of a computer, a plurality of user profiles stored in a memory of the computer; and for each selected user profile: selecting a file location and a user profile hive associated with the selected user profile, cleaning, based on at least one instruction within a cleaning rule set, one or more files stored within the file location associated with the selected user profile, including removing data from at least one file without deleting the file, cleaning, based on at least one instruction within the cleaning rule set, a registry stored within the user profile hive, including removing data from at least one registry entry stored in the registry without removing the registry entry; wherein the cleaning module comprises one or more cleaning rules; wherein the cleaning rule set comprises one or more cleaning rule identities; wherein each cleaning rule identity of the one or more cleaning rule identities corresponds to a unique cleaning rule; and wherein a cleaning rule comprises a set of one or more parameters for cleaning at least one of one or more files or a registry of the computer; and wherein each cleaning rule identity of the one or more cleaning rule identities corresponds to either a system cleaning rule, an application cleaning rule, or a registry cleaning rule.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the cleaning module, a user profile indication; wherein the user profile indication comprises one of: an indication to select a current user profile of the computer, an indication to select all user profiles of the computer, or an indication to select a pre-identified selection of user profiles of the computer.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user profile comprises the indication to select the current user profile of the computer; the method further comprising: requesting the file location for the current user profile from the computer; receiving the file location for the current user profile from the computer; and loading the user profile hive for the current user profile from the computer.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the user profile comprises the indication to select all the user profiles of the computer; the method further comprising: requesting a list of all the user profiles from the computer; receiving the list of all the user profiles from the computer; requesting the file location for each user profile of all the user profiles from the computer; receiving the file location for each user profile of all the user profiles from the computer; and loading the user profile hive for each user profile of all the user profiles from the computer.
 5. The method of claim 2, wherein the user profile comprises the indication to select the pre-identified selection of user profiles of the computer; the method further comprising: receiving the pre-identified selection of user profiles from the cleaning module; requesting the file location for each user profile of the pre-identified selection of user profiles from the computer; receiving the file location for each user profile of the pre-identified selection of user profiles from the computer; and loading the user profile hive for each user profile of the pre-identified selection of user profiles from the computer.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: cleaning, by the cleaning module, one or more databases of the computer, wherein the cleaning is based on at least one instruction to clean one or more databases within the cleaning rule set; and optimizing, by the cleaning module, one or more browser applications of the computer, wherein the optimizing is based on at least one instruction to optimize one or more browser applications within the cleaning rule set.
 7. An apparatus, comprising: a memory configured to store a cleaning module; and a processor configured to execute the cleaning module stored on the memory, wherein the processor is further configured, when executing the cleaning module stored on the memory, to: select a plurality of user profiles stored in the memory; and for each selected user profile: select a file location and a user profile hive associated with the selected user profile, clean, based on at least one instruction within a cleaning rule set, one or more files stored within the file location associated with the selected user profile, including removing data from at least one file without deleting the file, clean, based on at least one instruction within the cleaning rule set, a registry stored within the user profile hive, including removing data from at least one registry entry stored in the registry without removing the registry entry; wherein the cleaning module comprises one or more cleaning rules; wherein the cleaning rule set comprises one or more cleaning rule identities; wherein each cleaning rule identity of the one or more cleaning rule identities corresponds to a unique cleaning rule; and wherein a cleaning rule comprises a set of one or more parameters for cleaning at least one of one or more files or a registry of the computer; and wherein each cleaning rule identity of the one or more cleaning rule identities corresponds to either a system cleaning rule, an application cleaning rule, or a registry cleaning rule.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured, when executing the cleaning module stored on the memory, to receive a user profile indication; wherein the user profile indication comprises one of: an indication to select a current user profile of the computer, an indication to select all user profiles of the computer, or an indication to select a pre-identified selection of user profiles of the computer.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the user profile comprises the indication to select the current user profile of the computer; wherein the processor is further configured, when executing the cleaning module stored on the memory, to: request the file location for the current user profile from the computer; receive the file location for the current user profile from the computer; and load the user profile hive for the current user profile from the computer.
 10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the user profile comprises the indication to select all the user profiles of the computer; wherein the processor is further configured, when executing the cleaning module stored on the memory, to: request a list of all the user profiles from the computer; receive the list of all the user profiles from the computer; request the file location for each user profile of all the user profiles from the computer; receive the file location for each user profile of all the user profiles from the computer; and load the user profile hive for each user profile of all the user profiles from the computer.
 11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the user profile comprises the indication to select the pre-identified selection of user profiles of the computer; wherein the processor is further configured, when executing the cleaning module stored on the memory, to: receive the pre-identified selection of user profiles from the cleaning module; request the file location for each user profile of the pre-identified selection of user profiles from the computer; receive the file location for each user profile of the pre-identified selection of user profiles from the computer; and load the user profile hive for each user profile of the pre-identified selection of user profiles from the computer.
 12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon that, when executed by a processor of a computer, causes the processor to implement a method, the method comprising: selecting a plurality of user profiles stored in a memory of the computer; for each selected user profile: selecting a file location and a user profile hive associated with the selected user profile, cleaning, based on at least one instruction within a cleaning rule set, one or more files stored within the file location associated with the selected user profile, including removing data from at least one file without deleting the file, cleaning, based on at least one instruction within the cleaning rule set, a registry stored within the user profile hive, including removing data from at least one registry entry stored in the registry without removing the registry entry; wherein the cleaning module comprises one or more cleaning rules; wherein the cleaning rule set comprises one or more cleaning rule identities; wherein each cleaning rule identity of the one or more cleaning rule identities corresponds to a unique cleaning rule; and wherein a cleaning rule comprises a set of one or more parameters for cleaning at least one of one or more files or a registry of the computer; and wherein each cleaning rule identity of the one or more cleaning rule identities corresponds to either a system cleaning rule, an application cleaning rule, or a registry cleaning rule.
 13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, the method further comprising receiving a user profile indication wherein the user profile indication comprises one of: an indication to select a current user profile of the computer, an indication to select all user profiles of the computer, or an indication to select a pre-identified selection of user profiles of the computer.
 14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the user profile comprises the indication to select the current user profile of the computer; the method further comprising: requesting the file location for the current user profile from the computer; receiving the file location for the current user profile from the computer; and loading the user profile hive for the current user profile from the computer.
 15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the user profile comprises the indication to select all the user profiles of the computer; the method further comprising: requesting a list of all the user profiles from the computer; receiving the list of all the user profiles from the computer; requesting the file location for each user profile of all the user profiles from the computer; receiving the file location for each user profile of all the user profiles from the computer; and loading the user profile hive for each user profile of all the user profiles from the computer.
 16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the user profile comprises the indication to select the pre-identified selection of user profiles of the computer; the method further comprising: receiving the pre-identified selection of user profiles from the cleaning module; requesting the file location for each user profile of the pre-identified selection of user profiles from the computer; receiving the file location for each user profile of the pre-identified selection of user profiles from the computer; and loading the user profile hive for each user profile of the pre-identified selection of user profiles from the computer.
 17. The method of claim 1, wherein said cleaning, based on at least one instruction within the cleaning rule set, one or more files stored within the file location associated with the selected user profile includes deleting at least one file, and wherein said cleaning, based on at least one instruction within the cleaning rule set, a registry stored within the user profile hive includes deleting at least one registry entry from the registry.
 18. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured, when executing the cleaning module stored on the memory, to clean, based on at least one instruction within the cleaning rule set, one or more files stored within the file location associated with the selected user profile by deleting at least one file, and to clean, based on at least one instruction within the cleaning rule set, a registry stored within the user profile hive by deleting at least one registry entry from the registry.
 19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein said cleaning, based on a second instruction within the cleaning rule set, one or more files stored within the file location associated with the selected user profile includes deleting at least one file, and wherein said cleaning, based on at least one instruction within the cleaning rule set, a registry stored within the user profile hive includes deleting at least one registry entry from the registry. 